Asparagus Tart
250g pre rolled puff pastry - 15cm x 30cm - thickness of a £ 1 coin Bunch of English asparagus 1 Egg - beaten 200g lardons 250g ricotta 2 tbsp chopped chives 2 tbsp chopped parsley 1 tsp of grated lemon zest salt and pepper 100g grated parmesan
Pre heat the oven to 180c . Roll the puff pastry out just a little with a rolling pin into a rectangle , 30cm x 15cm and about the thickness of a £ 1 coin . Score a 1cm border around the pastry , making sure you don ’ t cut all the way through . Using a fork , prick inside the edges of both sheets about every 1 / 2 inch . Place the sheet on a floured baking tray and brush the border with the beaten egg . Bake for 15 minutes .
Trim tough ends off the asparagus . Steam the for about 4 minutes until crisp-tender . Place on a kitchen towel to drain . Cook the lardons until crisp .
Set on paper towels to drain .
In a small bowl , mix the ricotta with the chives , parsley , and lemon zest . Taste and add salt and pepper .
Take the pastry out of the oven and squash down the middle . Spread the ricotta mixture , and sprinkle over the lardons . Place the asparagus across lengthways and grate half the parmesan over the top . Bake for 20 minutes until golden .
Grate over the remaining Parmesan and drizzle with olive oil .
Serve hot with a fresh green salad .
Pickled cucumber
One cucumber 50g caster sugar 50ml white wine vinegar
Using a peeler slice the cucumber into strips . Season it with salt and leave for a few minutes . This allows the water content to reduce . Rinse and squeeze the cucumber and leave to one side .
Place the sugar and vinegar in a pan and heat until the sugar has dissolved .
Place the strips of cucumbers into a preserving jar , pour in the sugar and vinegar mixture over the cucumber and leave to cool before putting on the lid and placing in the fridge .
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